welcome class to video lecture number eight the Miracles and signs in the gospels understand the Miracles in their Biblical context are very important Miracles occupy a significant place in the biblical narrative not merely as to extraordinary events but as profound Revelations of divine truth in this lecture we will explore the nature of Miracles as described in the Bible examining their occurrence in nature history and divine rule as well as their purpose in revealing God's kingdom to his people and to the Nations and also in revealing his character we will also consider the occasional nature of
Miracles and their role as signs pointing to rather than proving the activity of god let's see first the Miracles in the creation event the biblical account of creation stands distinct from other ancient near Eastern creation MTH where creation often emerges from chaos and conflict with other gods in contrast the Bible presents creation as a deliberate and Sovereign Act of God who brings order out of nothingness emphasizing his supreme authority God's Sovereign in creation unlike ancient near Eastern myths the biblical narrative begins with God already in control speaking the world into existence in Genesis chapter 1
there is no battle or chaos only the authoritative word of God shaping the cosmos this set the tone for understanding Miracles as expressions of God's ongoing sovereignty over creation Miracles are revelatory in the biblical worldview Miracles are not just Supernatural occurrences they reveal deeper truths about God's nature and his relationship with his Creation The Creation event itself is the first and foremost profound Miracle demonstrating God's omnipotence and his intimate involvement in the world let's look at the distance between different ancient near Eastern World Views and Modern World Views understanding Miracles requires us to bridge the
gap between the ancient and the modern in the ancient world view in the biblical era the world was understood through a revelatory lens Miracles were seen as direct interventions by God revealing his his will and his purpose this perspective is different from the modern scientific method which seeks to explain events through natural causes and laws in the modern worldview today we often approach Miracles with skepticism influenced by the scientific method however it's essential to recognize that the biblical authors emphasize the revelatory nature of Miracles More Than The Miraculous nature this does not diminish the miraculous
but highlights that Miracles serve as a means to communicate Divine truth in application by appearing by appreciating the the ancient perspective we can better understand the purpose of miracles in the Bible not just as events that defy nature but also moments where God's Reveals His character his power and his intentions for Humanity Miracles are events in nature Miracles often manifest in the natural world but they transcend the natural processes biblical Miracles occur within the realm of nature but involve God's direct intervention this is nature and super nature or Supernatural such as The Parting of the
Red Sea or the stopping of the Sun in Joshua chap 10: 12-4 these events go beyond what nature could achieve on its own yet they occur within the natural order there's a revelatory function in this these Miracles reveal God's sovereignty over creation showing that nature is under his command the natural world in these instances become a stage for the Divine action demonstrating that God is not limited by the natural laws that he himself created Miracles are events in history they are significant historical events marking key moments in the unfolding of God's plan many biblical Miracles
occur at pivotal moments in Israel's history such as the plagues in Egypt or the Miracles during the conquest of a of Canaan these events are not random but are embedded in the historical Narrative of the people of God serving specific purposes in God's Redemptive plan God intervenes in history these Miracles demonstrate that history is not merely the result of human actions or natural forces it is shaped by God's active involvement through Miracles God directs history according to his Divine will ensuring the Fulfillment of his promise Miracles are events in Divine rule as well they're expression
of God's rule over the cosmos miracles in the Bible often assert God's authority over all creation such as the feeding of the 5000 where Jesus demonstrates his rule over nature and provision for his people they're also manifestations of God's kingdom these Miracles are signs that the kingdom of God is breaking into our world they serve as foretaste of the ultimate restoration and rule that God will establish revealing his Sovereign power and the coming of his kingdom as a result Miracles are events in Salvation history playing a crucial role in the unfolding salvation history plan they
have a Redemptive purpose and serve as revelation of God's plan regarding the Redemptive purpose many miracles are directly connected to God's work of Salvation The Exodus for instance is marked by a series of miraculous events that culminate in the dis the Deliverance of Israel From Slavery these Miracles are not just displays of power but are in integral to the Salvation narrative itself in the book of Exodus regarding the revelation of God's plan through Miracles God Reveals His Redemptive plan showing that he is actively working to bring about the salvation of his people miracles in this
sense are milestones in the history of Salvation pointing towards the ultimate Redemption that will be found in Christ miracles in the Bible are occasional by that I mean to say they're not happening all the time some people speak about miracles as in the Bible as if they were always happening that isn't true miracles in the Bible are occasional not common occurrences Miracles are performed to meet specific needs to reveal particular truths they are not random or frequent but are directed by God or his people to serve his purpose in key moments in history for example
the miracles of Jesus often respond to specific situations such as Healing The Sick or raising the dead revealing God's compassion and power they're rare and yet significant the occasional nature of the Miracles underscore their significance they are extraordinary events that stand out precisely because they are not commonplace highlighting the specific message or purpose of God intends to convey through them Miracles are foremost the activity of God fun Mally his activity in our world they represent Divine action and the revelation of his character Miracles are not merely natural phenomenon they are the result of God's direct
intervention whether it's the calming of a sea or the resurrection of Lazarus these events reveal God's active presence in our world the revelatory of his character through Miracles God reveals aspects of his character his power Mercy Justice and love Miracles are thus a means by which God makes himself known to humanity in tangible ways as a result the Miracles are the breaking in of God's rule Miracles signify the breaking of God's rule into our story they reflect the kingdom of God and the foretaste of a future Kingdom Miracles are signs that the kingdom of God
is indeed near they demonstrate that God is Not distant or attached but is actively involved in the world bringing his kingdom to bear on Earth these Miracles uh events are PR previews of the Ultimate Reality of God's rule on Earth where his will will be fully uh realized they Point towards the future consummation of God's kingdom where Miracles no longer will be necessary because God's rule will be complete Miracles are integral to Jesus's message the Miracles ofes Jesus were not just demonstrations of his power they were a part of the very message that he communicated
let's see how the message and the Miracles interact Jesus's Miracles were inseparable from his teachings they were not merely acts of compassion but were meant to reveal the nature of his mission and the reality of his power and of the Kingdom that he proclaimed when John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus was indeed the Messiah Jesus pointed to the Miracles as evidence of his identity and Mission in Matthew 11: 2-6 by such he is revealing the kingdom of God at hand each Miracle performed by Jesus was a sign of the Kingdom's nearness and a demonstration of
the Kingdom's values healing restoration and life Miracles then are signs of the Kingdom they function as signs or indicators pointing to deeper truths signs of The Nearness of God for example Miracles reveal that God is near he's not distant not far away not unable to hear us they are tangible demonstrations of his presence and involvement in the world they are signs of the control of God Miracles show that God is still in control ruling over nature history and human Affairs they remind us that no aspect of life is beyond God's reach or authority Miracles are
signs of God's rule they are signs that he has Sovereign rule over our world even today affirming that he is the king of kings and the Lord of lords they point to his ultimate authority over all creation we see in Luke 11: 20 and they serve as signs of the care of God he's compassionate he's loving Miracles reveal his care for his people showing that he is not just powerful but also compassionate and loving Miracles point but do not prove they intended to point us to God but not prove he exists or to compel us
to believe in him pointing to God's activity is the principle way they do this Miracles direct our attention to God's activity in the world revealing his character and his purposes they are signs that invite Faith but do not force it while Miracles can strengthen our faith they are not meant to be irrefutable proofs of God's existence faith in God is ultimately a response to his Revelation not just to miraculous events uh otherwise he'd be like a genie he would perform for us and give us what we want so we would follow him in today's context
we must be careful not to demand Miracles as proof of God's existence or care instead we should see them as signs that point to the greater reality of God's kingdom and his ongoing presence let's look at the Miracles and signs specifically in the gospels today's lectures focus on the mirac Miracles and signs performed by Jesus as recorded in the gospels these miraculous acts are a vital component of Jesus's Ministry serving not only as displays of his divine power like we said a moment ago but also as symbolic actions that reveal deeper truths theological truths about
who he is and what his mission was to accomplish we'll examine the nature of these Miracles their role within The Narrative of each gospel and their theological significance let's start off by trying to understand miracles in the gospels the definition and terminology in the gospels Miracles are extraordinary events that transcend natural laws and are attributed to divine intervention these acts are often referred to as Deeds of power it comes from the Greek word damis or dunamis it's where we get the word Dynamite from emphasizing their connection to the divine power of God working through Jesus
their signs the term signs or the Greek word seia is particular prominent in the Gospel of John where Miracles are depicted as symbolic acts pointing to deeper spiritual truths about Jesus's identity admission John doesn't use Miracles just to point to Jesus's work but his person his identity let's look at the purpose of miracles in the gospels they're are confirmation of divine Authority Miracles serve to authenticate Jesus's Divine Authority and Messianic identity they demonstrate that Jesus is not only a teacher and a prophet but also has power over nature disease demons and even death they function
to manifest the kingdom of God the miracles of Jesus are signs of the in-breaking kingdom of God they reveal the restoration uh they are they point to healing and wholeness that characterize God's Reign offering a foretaste of the eschatological Fulfillment of the kingdom and they also function to provide compassion and restoration many miracles reflect Jesus's deep compassion for the suffering and the marginalized through healing exorcism and other miraculous acts Jesus restores individuals to physical social and spiritual well-being let's look at how the gospel the synoptic gospels treat the Miracles before we look at John because
they're slightly different the synoptic gospels uh deal with the miracles of Jesus in a way that's just a littleit different than John does let's start with the healing Miracles the examples of the healing Miracles include the healing of the leper that we see in all three gospels Mark 1: 40-45 Matthew 8 1-4 and Luke 5: 12-6 there's the healing of the parol the paralytic in Mark 2 Matthew 9 and Luke 5 and there's a healing of jer's daughter and the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5 Matthew 9 and Luke Gap now you
can see that all of these miracles happen in all of the three gospels the synoptic gospels Matthew Mark and Luke and they follow a similar sequence because these gospels as we talked about in the synoptic problem have a lot in common in terms of the the writing let's look at the theological significance of these particular miracles in the case of the leper Jesus's healing restores a man not only to health but also to Ritual Purity allowing him to reenter the king Community this act demonstrated Jesus's authority over the law and his power to restore individuals
to full participation in the life of Israel one of the first things he does when he gets healed is to go Worship in the temple so there's a restoration of Purity and wholeness another theological significance of the Miracles in the synoptic gospels is forgiveness and healing the healing of the paralytic in which Jesus first forgives the man's sins underscores the connection between physical healing and spiritual to Restoration this miracle challenges the religious Leader's understanding of sin and Authority as Jesus asserts his authority to forgive sin they also demonstrate faith and power the healing of jer's
daughter and the woman with the issue of blood highlights the role of faith in receiving Jesus's healing power both Miracles demonstrate Jesus's compassion and his authority over life and death affirming his Messianic identity let's look at another series of Miracles that that are a little bit different that's exorcisms the examples we have are the healing of the gine demoniac in Mark 5 Matthew 8 and Luke 8 and the healing of the boy with the demon in Mark 9 Matthew 17 and Luke 9 the theological significance of those is pretty simple to understand this first and
foremost a confrontation with evil exorcisms in the gospels demonstrate Jesus's authority over the forces of evil the dramatic nature of these confrontations reveals the power struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan they also indicate a restoration of dignity for the individual in the case of the gising demoniac Jesus's exorcism restores the man's dignity and humanity and he is liberated from the dehumanizing power of the Demons the public nature of this miracle also serves as a powerful testimony to the surrounding Gentile communities there's also the the effect of faith and discipleship the
he feeling of the boy with the demon emphasizes the importance of faith and prayer in confronting evil the disciples initial failure to cast out the demon highlights their need for deeper Reliance on God's power now also look at a few different Miracles the nature Miracles the calming of the storm in Mark 4 Matthew 8 and Luke 8 the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6 Matthew 14 Luke 9 and even in John 6 this is the only miracle that appears in all four of the gospels of other than the resurrection of Jesus and the walking
on water found in Mark 6 Matthew 14 and John 6 let look at the theological significance of these miracles to start with they demonstrate authority over creation the nature of Miracles demonstrate Jesus's Divine authority over the natural world the calming of the storm for instance reveals Jesus as Lord of creation echoing Old Testament themes of God's sovereignty over the sea they also indicate provision and abundance the feeding of the 5000 illustrates Jesus's ability to provide abundantly for the needs of his followers the miracle has Eucharistic overtones as well symbolizing the spiritual nourishment Jesus offers through
his presence and his teaching and of course there's presence and Trust the miracle of walking on water highlights the disciples struggle with fear and doubt and Jesus's reass reassurance of the presence and power of God Peter's attempt to walk water also serves as a metaphor for the challenge of faith that the need one that we have to keep one's focus on Jesus these are some of the Miracles we see in the synoptic gospels they're not the only ones but these are some highlights that give us a taste of how they treat the Miracles and so
looking at this you can go back and look at other Miracles and see how is Jesus his authority demonstrated how is his care and compassion demonstrated how his ability to provide for his people demonstrated let's move to John who treats Miracles just a little bit differently uh they're often referred to as signs in the Gospel of John and one of the most important components of the Gospel of John is the presence of these signs in what appears to be John's purpose statement for his gospel in John CH 20: 30 and 31 he states that the
signs that have been recorded in the gospel have been purposely put there in order for our faith resulting in eternal life Tom Wright describes the meaning of the signs in the Gospel of John like this that the whole point of the signs is that there are Moments When Heaven and Earth intersect with each other that's what the Jews believe happened at the temple the point is not that there are stories about which couldn't have happened in real life but which point away from Earth to a Heavenly reality John connects Jesus's statement at the beginning of
his ministry in John 1: 50 and 51 with the meaning of the signs Jesus said you believe because I because you it says you believe because I told you I saw you under the Fig Tree you shall see greater things than that I tell you the truth you shall see Heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man as right rightly stated the signs are Moments When Heaven and Earth are indeed connected there are moments when the Heavenly reality becomes Earthly reality what the Jews believed happened only in the
temple the connection of Heaven and Earth Jesus brings in his person he is now the connection between men and god let's have a look at the signs in the Gospel of John the Gospel of John can be divided into two parts the first book is called the book of signs it's chapter 1 verse 19 through chapter 12: 50 and the second part is often referred to as the book of Glory that's chapter 13- 20 with a concluding epilogue in chapter 21 to show a clear uh divide there is in the gospel of the signs initiating
belief with the result of life for people and death for Jesus have a look at the frequency and location of the word sign in John the word itself is used 16 times between John 1 and John 12 and it's only used one time in the remaining chapters and that instance is being in John's purp statement in John 20: 30-31 so in the first 12 chapters he talks about signs 16 times and only once at the very end in the rest of the book therefore we call this first book the book of signs the book of
signs contains seven signs that all lead up to the final sign that is contained in John's chapter uh chapters 181 19 and 20 that's the glorification of Jesus on the cross and through the resurrection there actually more signs referred to in John 2:23 but seven that are specifically described as such so let's look at the book of signs what are these Seven Signs uh turning Water to Wine in John 2: 1-12 the healing of the officials son in John 4 veres 43-54 the healing of the paralized man in John 5 1-15 the feeding of the
5000 in John 6 1-15 the walk on water in John 616- 24 the healing of a man born blind in John 91-12 and raising of Lazarus from the dead in John 11 1-44 let's look at the Miracles of John uh at through the context of these seven signs in the Gospel of John the Miracles are referred to as signs as I mentioned a moment ago emphasizing their symbolic nature and their role in revealing Jesus's Divine Authority John's gospel will include seven of these signs that are intended to lead to belief in Jesus the Messiah the
Son of God as we've seen he's already explicitly stated this in John 20: 30-31 where he says these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name let's look at these seven signs in more detail the first one is the changing of water into wine that occurs at a wedding in AA where Jesus turns water into wine preventing the embarrassment of the host this miracle is performed at the request of his mother Mary this miracle signifies the arrival
of the Messianic age and the abundance of God's New Creation the theological significance of this sign is that it symbolizes the transformative power of Jesus and the abundance of blessings associated with the arrival of the kingdom of God the water to wine transformation also points to the New Covenant surpassing the old purification rituals of Judaism and it's connected to the Cross to the resurrection this sign foreshadows the transformation brought through Jesus's resurrection turning death into life and the renewal of creation through the victory over death anti write emphasizes the resurrection as the moment of New
Creation breaking into the world which is hinted at here in the transformation from old to new the second sign is the healing of the official offal son in John chap 4 where Jesus heals the son of a royal official from a distance demonstrating his power over illness and his ability to heal with just his word the theological significance in this is that this sign emphasizes the power of Jesus's word and importance of faith in his authority the official's faith despite Jesus not being physically present highlights the universal scope of Jesus's mission and the efficacy of
belief it's connect to the resurrection and that this healing signifies the life-giving power of Jesus prefiguring the ultimate healing and restoration brought about by his resurrection the distance at which the healing occurs points to Jesus's Transcendence over time and space much like the cosmic impact of the Resurrection the third sign in the Gospel of John is the healing of the paralytic at Bethesda at the pool of Bethesda Jesus heals a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years emphasizing the the power of Jesus to bring restoration to those who've long been a Afflicted this miracle
occurs on the Sabbath leading controversy with the Jewish authorities it's theological significance is that the healing on the Sabbath underscores Jesus's authority over the law and his role of bringer of spiritual and physical restoration the man's healing also serves as a metaphor for the transformative power of Jesus's word and the life he offers and it's connected to the Resurrection the sin that the healing the healing of the paralyzed man is a symbol of Jesus raising people out of the paralysis of sin and death which he accomplishes fully in his own Resurrection the resurrection is the
beginning of the new age where humanity is restored to full Abundant Life The Feeding of the 5000 is the fourth sign in the Gospel of John it's one that we've seen already also exists in the other synoptic gospels in it Jesus miraculously multiplies love Loaves and Fishes to feed a large crowd and like the synoptic gospel John includes the feeding of the 5000 but it is followed by the bread of life discourse where Jesus identifies himself as the true Bread of Heaven he's got their attention he's multiplied this bread they're no longer hungry and now
he's able to tell them about his own identity as a result it emphasizes Jesus as the provider of spiritual sustenance linking the miracle to the theme of divine provision and the Lord's Supper that we're going to see later on the Miracle also highlights Jesus's role as the new Moses providing for God's people in the wilderness in the way that God provided Mana in the Old Testament the feeding of the 5000 symbolizes the lifegiving sustenance Jesus provides which culminates in his resurrection as the ultimate Act of nourishment for believers offering eternal life through Jesus's victory over
death on the cross the fifth sign is the walking on water we see in John chapter six after the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus walks on water to meet his disciples who are struggling in a storm on the Sea of Galilee he demonstrates his power over nature and the calming the fears of his disciples this sign reinforces Jesus's Divine authority over creation and serves as a reminder of the constant presence with his disciples even in the midst of Life storms he did not make the storm go away initially he met them in the storm and
then took uh took away the storm storm Jesus's ability to walk on water prefigures his power over the forces of chaos and death which are fully conquered by his resurrection the resurrection is a cosmic victory over all that opposes God's order much like Jesus's Mastery over the storm the sixth sign in the gospel is the healing of the man born blind Jesus encounters a man who's been blind from birth his disciples question whether the man's blindness was due to his sin or maybe his parents but Jesus refutes this stating that the man's condition will Ser
serve to reveal the works of God it's completely unexpected reason he then heals The Man by making mud with the saliva mixing mud with the saliva and placing it on the Man's eyes and instructing him to wash in the pool of salom this healing causes a stir among the Pharisees who question both the man's identity and the legitimacy of Jesus's healing again on the Sabbath The Healing of the man born blind highlights Jesus as the light of the world who brings both physical and spiritual sight the man's Fe physical healing is a symbolic Act of
the deeper spiritual Insight that Jesus offers to those who believe in him the sign contrasts the faith of the healed man with the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees who refused to recognize Jesus as the Messiah this miracle also touches on the themes of sin suffering and God's sovereignty and using trials to manifest his glory this healing is symbolic of Jesus's role in bringing light to the world a light that shines fully in the Resurrection The Resurrection as the moment when True Light Of God bursts forth offering new signs uh new understanding of God's purpose the
seventh sign in this book of signs is the raising of Lazarus from the dead in John chapter 11 Jesus is informed that his friend Lazarus is seriously ill but he delays visiting Bethany where Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha live by the time Jesus arrives Lazarus has already been dead for 4 days and both sisters Express sorrow saying that if Jesus had only been there Lazarus would not have died Jesus moved with compassion goes to the tomb and commands Lazarus to come out raising him from the dead this sign creates a powerful reaction while
many believe in Jesus others report the miracle to the Pharisees accelerating their plot to kill him the raising of Lazarus is the climax of the signs in John and serve as the ultimate de demonstration of Jesus's authority over life and death it is a profound foreshadowing of Jesus's own resurrection and declaration that Jesus is the resurrection and the life this sign reinforced Jesus's identity as the source of eternal life and offers a glimpse into the future resurrection of all believers it also brings to light the tension between belief and unbelief as the miracle provokes faith
in Jesus and the decision to seek death this points to the cost of true faith and the life-giving power of Christ this sign directly prefigures Jesus's own Resurrection pointing to his power to give life beyond the grave Wright highlights that lazarus's Resurrection is a sign point to the final defeat of death which is accomplished in Jesus's own Rising there's one more sign in the Book of John and it's in the book of Glory not in the book of signs it's in John chapters 18-2 and that is the resurrection of Jesus himself while the initial seven
signs are all connection points Between Heaven and Earth the final sign is the ultimate as Jesus is suspended Between Heaven on Earth to bring forgiveness from heaven above to earth below Jesus alludes to this in his speech to Nicodemus in John 3:14-15 when he says just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness so the son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him the first seven signs initiate and point to the final sign the resurrection of Jesus especially raising Lazarus from the dead which infuriates many
of the religious leaders and leads to plots to kill Jesus we see that in John 11 at the end in these verses the Sanhedrin meet and they say what are we accomplishing ing here's this man performing many signs if we let him go on like this everyone will believe in him and then the Romans will come and take away both our Temple and our nation even they understood how the signs were resulting in belief we also see the temple come up again little do they realize that Jesus himself is performing the function of the temple
God's presence among his people the sacrifice and the connection between Heaven and Earth then Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of the final sign in John by saying you know nothing at all you do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the sin of the people than that the whole nation perish I appreciate the Gospel of John because I know how much my faith has been built by it as Jesus told Thomas because you have seen me you have believed blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe I hope you
receive a blessing from having a fresh look at the Gospel of John and the signs that lead up to the final sign the cross and the resurrection in conclusion the Miracles and signs in the gospels serve as pivotal events that reveal God's Rule and activity in history they are not merely Supernatural occurrences but Moments When Heaven intersects with Earth embodying The Nearness care and authority of God these signs point to the presence of God's kingdom demonstrating his rule and inviting Faith from his people without serving as undeniable proofs in John's gospel the signs lead to
a crescendo in the glorification of Jesus culminating in the ultimate sign of the Resurrection where the full scope of God's Redemptive purpose is made clear as we reflect on these Miracles we are invited to recognize that these signs continue to speak to us today building our faith and pointing us to the reality of God's kingdom breaking into our world may God bless you all
